SK: Svit – Bata’s Town I

Prior to our walk in this beautiful town, we opened a book telling a history of this town. We were captivated by its short yet interesting story. We had learned that Svit was founded by Bata, a company based Zlin that was led by legendary Tomas Bata . The company bought lands from the town of Velka, in Podtatranska basin. The company intended to build a new factory that would produce viscous threads. The name of the factory inspired the name of the town – Slovenska Viskozni Tovarna (Slovakian Viscous Factory). Also the conditions under which the lands were sold were interesting. The most interesting condition was to employ mostly inhabitants of Velka. Another condition was that the office of the factory has to be only within the Velka’s estates. When the land was sold construction of many new family houses began. In February, 1936, the factory became operational. It had 90 employees and by the year’s end already 530 people worked there. The more the factory expanded the more extensive the family houses construction was. Larger factory demanded more electricity and better infrastructure. This caused first attempts to mine coal nearby the town of Strba, where 1000 tons of coal was mined altogether, or a rails were laid .

The rise and independence

In 1937, first schools and a temporary cinema were built on demand of local inhabitants. The first soccer field was made there until 1941 as well as a shopping mal, dorms, and other social-cultural buildings. Until the beginning of the second world war. Express train and busses had their stop Svit as well as an interesting bus line Wien - Krakow. During the war that lasted several years, harsh fights took place there fortunately concluding in liberating the town. In 1945, President Dr. Eduard Benes stopped there. Little did he know that the town would ask him to become its honorary citizen. The liberation took place on July 4, 1946. Until the year 1950, various adjustments were made in the town, such as an adjustment to the creek of the Poprad. It was regulated beneath the foothill of the Baba mountains. Next followed continuous construction of new buildings and improvement to living conditions of the locals. The patronage of this was in the hands of the factory. In this era the factory expanded to Chemosvit, it was now producing chemical and machinery materials. Later, it continues in the production of textile products. Also, there is considerable food industry that gives the town a good image.

We set off in the streets with so much new information we went to see the streets of this “Bata’s town”. Everywhere were the so called "Bata’s brick houses". We saw even an interesting educational trail. We went also to a popular bike trail. More about it will come next week.

Text and photo: Oskár Mažgút